NATO reaffirms its long-term support for Ukraine and says its members all agree the nation will join the alliance, but not while the war is ongoing, and not before it has reformed.
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg again spoke of NATO membership for Ukraine as a definite matter — despite previous dissent from within the alliance — as he spoke of a forthcoming meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council this week.
“Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of NATO”, Stoltenberg said as he said discussions this week would focus on “priority reforms” for the country to make it fit to join the organisation. Recent direct support for Ukraine cited by the Norwegian politician turned alliance leader included the air defence coalition, billions in new funding, and the opening of the F-16 training centre in Romania for Ukrainian pilots.
NATO Looks to ‘Israel Style’ Relationship With Ukraine, Rejecting Full Membership… For Nowhttps://t.co/AJhqrp8SBy
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 11, 2023
While Stoltenberg was fim Ukraine would be joining NATO, meaning it would be party to the Article 5 protections which brings all members to war if any one of them is attacked in Europe or North America, he did also make clear that would be contingent on some major changes. Besides reforms for Ukraine including “full interoperability between Ukrainian forces and NATO forces… based on NATO doctrines and training procedures”, he said Ukraine would have to no longer be at war first.
He told press during a morning briefing that: “All Allies agree that in the midst of a war full membership is not possible. But of course, we will continue to look into to address how we can move Ukraine and NATO even closer together”.





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